Lab Culinary Contest

October 12, 2015

After a yoke of years' reluctant absence, I was thrilled to attend the 2015 lab culinary contest at my workplace. This honey tradition celebrates comfort baking, daring novel recipes as well as clever presentation. Only a pick out few are prize winners (of plastic dinosaurs, lemon-juicing gadgets, grape-flavoured marshmallows as well as other miscellany), but everyone is guaranteed a rattling skilful lunch.

In keeping alongside the event's conviviality I include photos of all entries inwards my slideshow, as well as to a greater extent than or less produce comprise meat. Along the means you'll likely spot my 2 entries, a potato samosa salad (winner of the You Can Win Friends With Salad prize) as well as mini alfajores (winner of the Little Morsel award). I owe it all to Terry Hope Romero!

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You tin hand the sack besides read well-nigh by culinary competitions from 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 as well as 2012.

Ginger-Peanut Kale Alongside Tofu & Quinoa

October 17, 2015

I of late had a chip of a travel shake-up, pregnant I left a query grouping inwards Sydney that I'd been working alongside (mostly remotely) for the terminal iii years. We had a lovely goodbye dinner before inwards the week, together with I was thrilled alongside the parting gift they gave me - the Arthur Street Kitchen cookbook Community. I was fifty-fifty to a greater extent than thrilled to realise that I could bust this mass out direct away, to contribute to Hayley's birthday potluck picnic.

The book's in all probability 70% vegetarian together with 30% vegan and, to brand certain everyone picnicking could indulge, I focussed on the vegan options. The Thai kohlrabi, cabbage together with apple tree slaw was tempting, every bit was the smashed chickpeas alongside broccoli together with dukkah, but inwards the cease I went alongside i of the dishes featured on the cover: ginger-peanut kale alongside tofu together with quinoa.

There are a few divide bits to the recipe, but naught is real complicated, together with you lot tin knock the whole thing off inwards near an hr without whatever trouble. The kale seems ludicrously disproportionate compared to the sauce, but it shrinks downwardly nicely inwards the end, thus don't panic. The cease effect is wonderful - the kale together with quinoa soak upward lots of peanutty flavour, together with the tofu together with roasted peanuts add together texture together with variety. It's easily a repast on its own, but thankfully it too industrial plant good inwards a potluck-style picnic situation.

Ginger-peanut kale alongside tofu & quinoa
(slightly adapted from a recipe inwards Hetty McKinnon's Community)

1 large bunch of kale ( 500g), roughly shredded (stems removed)
350g theater tofu, cutting into sparse slices
1 ruddy onion, thinly sliced
300g (1.5 cups) quinoa
ii teaspoons Massel 'chicken' stock powder
1 loving cup of roasted, salted peanuts
Veggie oil, for frying
common salt together with pepper

Sauce
1/2 loving cup peanut butter
1 loving cup water
ii tablespoons tahini
ii teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced ginger
ii cloves garlic, minced
3 teaspoons tamari
ii tablespoons rice vino vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup (it's dear inwards the original, but this is to a greater extent than vegan appropriate)
common salt together with pepper

This recipe has basically iii divide processes: the kale 'n' sauce, the quinoa together with the tofu together with onion frying - it doesn't actually affair what social club you lot produce them in, but the quinoa takes a expert 25-30 minutes, thus it tin live on left to gear upward spell you're doing the rest.

Quinoa

Pop the quinoa, a pinch of common salt together with stock pulverisation inwards a medium sized saucepan together with fill upward alongside H2O to near 2cm higher upward the quinoa (which variety of floats, making this a chip tricky to judge).

Bring it to the boil together with the simmer, covered until the quinoa is cooked together with the H2O is absorbed - near 25 minutes.

Sauce together with kale

Melt all of the sauce ingredients together inwards unopen to other medium saucepan. You should current of air upward alongside a smoothen together with slightly thick sauce.

Kill the estrus together with stir inwards the kale, a chip at a fourth dimension - it looks similar a consummate mismatch inwards size, but the kale volition shrink downwardly a chip every bit the hot sauce wilts it. I tossed it all together every bit good every bit I could together with thus left the saucepan covered (with the estrus off) thus that everything kept cooking.

Tofu together with onion

Season the tofu slices alongside common salt together with pepper.

Add 1 tablespoon of stone oil to a frying pan on medium-high heat. Fry the tofu for 6-8 minutes on each side until it's overnice together with golden.

Allow the slices to cool together with thus cutting them crossways into petty strips.

Throw the onion inwards the same frying pan (with unopen to other tablespoon of stone oil if necessary) together with gear upward slowly, for 10-12 minutes, until it's super soft together with caramelised.

Finishing it off!

Once everything has cooled downwardly a little, combine the quinoa, saucy kale, tofu together with onions inwards a large bowl. Top alongside the roasted peanuts together with serve.

Peanut Butter & Huckleberry Pie

October 17, 2015

Michael as well as I unintentionally went over-the-top on peanuts inwards our contributions to birthday picnic, doubling downward on roasted peanuts as well as peanut butter inwards both dishes. While Michael's dressed a kale as well as quinoa salad, mine formed the base of operations season for a sweetness piffling pie.

My starting fourth dimension contact amongst this pie was every bit a recipe tester for Leigh Drew's Wrapped inwards Pastry. The peanut butter caramel filling was ever destined to win me over, but it was the fresh huckleberry topping that proved to live the clincher. Instead of the depth as well as richness of a to a greater extent than predictable chocolate/peanut butter pairing, blueberries actually lighten upward the caramel as well as lend a hint of tartness. It makes for a actually dainty springtime dessert.

The shortcrust pastry was non my best effort. I mean value I added also piffling liquid, rendering it crumbly as well as hard to ringlet (yet thence really slow to swear at). By contrast, the peanut butter caramel was uncomplicated as well as completed inwards perchance v minutes. I enjoyed taking a piffling longer over the topping, alternating decorative circles of blueberries as well as roasted peanuts to pretty, homely effect.

This isn't the sort of recipe that volition ever come inwards our weekly rotation but I tin dismiss run across myself enjoying it all the to a greater extent than for pulling it out i time a year, when blueberries are cheap-ish as well as in that place are friends to feed.

Peanut butter & huckleberry pie
(a recipe from Leigh Drew's Wrapped inwards Pastry,
made available online through her blog)

pastry
2 cups patently flour
1/4 loving cup icing sugar
1/2 loving cup margarine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 loving cup almond milk

caramel filling
1 1/2 cups shine peanut butter
1 loving cup almond milk
1 loving cup icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

topping
1 loving cup fresh blueberries
2/3 loving cup salted roasted peanuts

To brand the pastry, identify the flour as well as icing saccharide inwards a nutrient processor as well as pulse them briefly to combine. Add the margarine as well as blend until it's thoroughly mixed through the flour. With the blades withal rotating, pour inwards the lemon juice. Drip inwards the almond milk a tablespoon at a fourth dimension as well as operate on blending until the ingredients are good mixed; they powerfulness fifty-fifty line together into a dough ball. Turn the dough onto a sail of plastic wrap, force it together into a dough ball amongst your hands, roll it upward inwards the plastic as well as refrigerate the dough for 2 hours.

Preheat an oven to 180°C as well as lightly spray a pie dish amongst oil. Retrieve the dough ball from the fridge, as well as disclose it, leaving the spread out glad roll betwixt the ball as well as the bench. Arrange some other slice of plastic roll on pinnacle of the dough, as well as ringlet the ball out betwixt the ii plastic sheets to check the pie dish. When it looks similar a practiced fit, take the plastic on pinnacle as well as repose the pastry into the dish opened upward side down. Pull off the 2d layer of plastic as well as check the pastry into the dish, trimming as well as patching where needed. Poke some holes inwards the base of operations amongst a fork as well as bake the pastry until it's lightly browned, close xx minutes. Allow the pastry to cool on the bench.

To brand the filling, identify the peanut butter as well as almond milk inwards a saucepan over medium heat. Stir them regularly until they're well-mixed as well as smooth, thence accept them off the heat. Sift inwards the icing saccharide as well as add together the vanilla, whisking everything together until it's really smooth. Pour the caramel into the pastry illustration as well as shine over the pinnacle to fifty-fifty it out. Decorate the pinnacle of the pie amongst alternating concentric circles of blueberries as well as peanuts. Refrigerate the pie for some 2 hours earlier slicing as well as serving.

The Drinking Glass Den

October 18, 2015

The Glass Den is a roomy Coburg cafe ready inside the D-division gatehouse of the now-decommissioned Pentridge Prison. In the past times calendar month they've truly ramped upwards their vegan card options, as well as then nosotros skulked inwards for a belatedly breakfast on sun morning.

Though it's a meat-and-all menu, it's clear they know their stuff. There are dairy as well as 3 non-dairy mylk options on the outset page (plus a vegan java frappe hidden farther back!), as well as vegetarian/vegan/gluten-free symbols scattered everywhere. They're most to live on expected, perhaps, on the chia pudding as well as smashed avo dishes, but kokosnoot mousse, kokosnoot bacon as well as mushroom substitutions hateful that plates similar the big breakfast as well as the calamari salad are also on the veg*n table. You've truly gotta hunt for the eggs as well as bacon (they are there). It all made for some tough  decision-making.

Michael needed a influenza fighter juice (carrot, ginger as well as orange; $7) to combat his sniffles.

With that done he demanded a minute big food boost from the Shrooms & Kale ($15.50), a plate of multi-grain sourdough toast, sauteed kale as well as garlic mushrooms, pino nuts as well as kokosnoot bacon. The kokosnoot bacon lacked coloring but the dish was well-seasoned. Unfortunately the thick, crusty toast as well as lack of sauciness rendered this a niggling dry.

I took a jeopardy on the kokosnoot hotcakes ($16.90). They're vegan as well as gluten-free past times default as well as read a niggling overwrought - "gluten costless hotcakes, grilled banana, berry foam, maple syrup, candied almonds as well as coconut". Actually they seem to live on i of the cafe's most pop dishes, as well as I saw several pretty plates delivered to the tables or as well as then me earlier I got my paws on this one.

My suspicions were unfounded - these were first-class hotcakes, alongside the texture of a flourless almond cake. The fruity trimmings were really generous as well as complementary. I can't mean value of many (any?) amend gleegan breakfasts or as well as then Melbourne.

With a belly amount of hotcakes, I barely glanced at the sweetness treats past times the till. But hither they are! They looked nice, as well as some of 'em were labelled vegan too.

Service was welcoming but a niggling slow, as well as it won't deter us from visiting again. This is a card nosotros desire to encounter to a greater extent than of.

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The Glass Den
xv Urquhart St, Coburg
9354 5032
brews, breakfast, lunch, cold drinks, booze
http://www.theglassden.com.au/

Accessibility: There's a apartment entry as well as clear corridors throughout the cafe, but the tables as well as chairs are densely arranged. We ordered at our tabular array as well as paid at a depression counter. We didn't catch the toilets.

Char-Grilled Broccoli Amongst Chickpeas, Almonds, Lemon & Chilli

October 22, 2015

I'm really enjoying my novel cookbook and, subsequently a charge of chips at trivia on Tuesday, I decided that Midweek was a skilful nighttime to teach my salad on again. This broccoli-based salad had a few advantages: it looked elementary to make, it had a skilful mix of veggies in addition to protein, in addition to it seemed similar it would locomote goddamn delicious. 

It lived upwardly to all iii promises, although the grooming was a fleck to a greater extent than involved than I initially imagined. It would run a lot improve if you lot cooked the broccoli on a bbq every bit the recipe suggests, every bit cranking our non-stick frying pan upwardly to charring rut levels left me a fleck on edge. And that made it difficult to recall to banking firm jibe upwardly on the toasting almond flakes. Luckily, I simply close got things correct - the broccoli could in all likelihood convey charred for a fleck longer to teach to a greater extent than of the smokiness that the recipe promises. Regardless, the combination of crispy almond flakes, fried capers in addition to big hits of lemon in addition to chilli, addition loads of mint in addition to parsley actually added unopen to oomph to the base of operations of broccoli, spinach in addition to chickpeas.

The parmesan isn't essential, hence this is an slow veganisable dish, in addition to 1 that we'll definitely come upwardly dorsum to again.

Char-grilled broccoli amongst chickpeas, almonds, lemon & chilli
(slightly adapted from a recipe inwards Hetty McKinnon's Community)

1kg broccoli (3 heads), cutting into florets
vi tablespoons olive oil
100g capers, rinsed in addition to drained
two garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
two cans chickpeas, drained in addition to rinsed
two cups babe spinach leaves
zest in addition to juice of 1 lemon
1 loving cup parsley leaves, chopped
1 loving cup mint leaves, chopped
80g parmesan, shaved
100g flaked almonds, toasted
common salt in addition to pepper

Toss the broccoli florets inwards one-half the olive crude in addition to flavour liberally amongst common salt in addition to pepper.

Heat a frying pan (or a bbq if you're doing it properly) until it's super hot in addition to throw inwards the broccoli. Cook for 6-8 minutes, turning regularly, until the broccoli florets convey charred upwardly a bit.

Put the other one-half of the crude inwards a pocket-size saucepan amongst the capers, garlic in addition to chilli flakes. Heat it upwardly until the garlic simply begins to alter colouring textile (you actually don't desire to burn downwards it!) in addition to and then kill the heat, in addition to pour the oil/garlic/caper/chilli mix over the broccoli.

Stir inwards the chickpeas, spinach leaves, lemon zest in addition to unopen to to a greater extent than common salt in addition to pepper in addition to toss well.

Serve, topped amongst lemon juice, mint, parsley, parmesan in addition to almonds.

Little River Ii

Update 27/1/2019 - Little River seems to get got unopen downward (although there's about indication on their Zomato page that this is entirely temporary)

October 24, 2015

On our offset hit-and-miss visit to Little River, I noted that I'd live interested inward coming dorsum for lunch. We in conclusion followed through on Saturday. The Sun shone through the windows but it was cool inside, in addition to Little River was hosting a steady flow of customers.

Michael wanted what those other customers were having earlier he'd fifty-fifty heard its description. It revealed itself to live a daily exceptional of vegan tofu quesadillas ($15) stuffed amongst tofu in addition to beetroot hummus (plus what nosotros reckon was Biocheese) in addition to a side of corn salsa in addition to guacamole. Michael loved this fresh in addition to hefty plateful, but wished for a bottle of hot sauce to spice it up.

I requested the vegan alternative on their corn fritter wrap ($9). H5N1 venture toaster-pressing held this together well, in addition to I enjoyed the juicy filling of charred corn, capsicum, spinach in addition to avocado. I couldn't actually honor the chutney in addition to wished for merely a impact of acidity - mayhap a lime wedge on the side? The lightly dressed rocket garnish for sure helped.

I held off on a milk shiver in addition to saved room for something from the cake cabinet, picking out a vegan-friendly pecan spell ($5). It was soft in addition to sweet, mayhap non at deeply caramelised equally I prefer, but nonetheless darn good. It'd fifty-fifty move a takeaway bag, I reckon.

We received cheery in addition to efficient service, in addition to weren't hurried out the door. It's lovely to run into this vegetarian cafe belongings its ain amongst unpretentious, fresh foods.

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You tin read well-nigh our offset see to Little River here. Since in addition to hence it has equally good featured on veganfoodtour.

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Little River
Shop 7, 208 Albion St, Brunswick
9973 0473
menu
facebook page

Accessibility: There's a minor lip on the door in addition to a shallow ramp equally an alternative to the iii steps upwards inside. Tables are arranged quite spaciously; nosotros ordered at that topographic point in addition to paid at a low-medium counter. The john is a unisex cubicle - access is apartment but narrow, within is spacious but lacks handrails in addition to other dedicated supports. There are a span of high chairs in addition to a minor alternative of children's toys available.

Kitchen Inn

October 5 in addition to 29, 2015

Since our purpose deed a span of months dorsum I've been continuing to explore the nutrient options closed to the neighbourhood (while missing Sonido in addition to Smith & Deli of course). I had a tip-off from a mate that Kitchen Inn had a surprisingly decent make of vegetarian options, in addition to thence I dropped past times to cheque it out. It's a brusque carte du jour department alongside but 5 dishes, featuring Kitchen Inn's house-made noodles, rice, vegetables in addition to - inwards all 5 dishes - vegetarian BBQ pork. Each dish is super affordable - but $8.90, for plates in addition to thence big you'll teach by to complete them. Vegans volition live on good served past times near of the options (the egg noodle dish is a no-go, obviously), but volition postulate to permit the staff know to exclude the egg that comes measure inwards dishes similar the fried kueh teow in addition to fried rice (I failed inwards the noodle dish on the left below, but excluded the egg successfully from the fried rice on the right).

The fried kueh teow was fantastic - fantabulous noodles, wok-fried to hand them a smoky wok-hei in addition to filled alongside a generous mix of mock-pork, egg in addition to veggies. The fried rice was proficient too - non quite equally successful equally the noodles, but a fantastically proficient value lunch, specially alongside a few scoops of chilli crude on top.

Kitchen Inn is a chip of a madhouse at lunchtime - if y'all teach at that topographic point at 12pm or later, you're in all likelihood going to direct keep to queue for a piece and/or portion a table. They create offering takeaway if you'd rather but direct keep your mock pork to the common or your desk. Kitchen Inn has rapidly institute its means into my regular dejeuner rotation - I'm slap-up to run my means through all the veggie noodle dishes on the menu.

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There are broadly positive reviews on Eat in addition to Be Merry for Tomorrow We Die(t), Let's Get Fat Together, Kimba's Kitchen, Asian Restaurants inwards Melbourne, Gastronomic Gems, Arrow Foodie, Lip's Temptations, piece Yellow Eggs was actually unimpressed (on both visits!), equally was New International Students.

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Kitchen Inn
469 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne
9328 2562
menu
facebook page

Accessibility: There's a pocket-size lip on the door. The interior is real crowded, alongside people in addition to tables - at that topographic point are outdoor tables too that are a chip simpler to nab a topographic point at. You guild in addition to pay at a high counter in addition to they convey the nutrient out. I haven't visited the toilets.

Stagger Lee's

October 31, 2015

Michael together with I both had skillful word at locomote on Friday, together with he insisted that nosotros breakfast somewhere fun to celebrate on Sat morning. I suggested nosotros cheque out Stagger Lee's, which our friend Lisa recommended a few months agone every bit a skillful spot for vegan options.

With exposed bricks together with bulbs, 2 communal tables together with serious, unmarried root coffee, Stagger Lee's fits the inner-north cafe mould. The carte is annotated amongst Vs, VG, VGOs together with GFs (including the vino list!) but nosotros couldn't catch a corresponding legend. The V*s were all over the place, on lemon curd-covered crumpets, granola together with bircher bowls amongst coyo together with almond milk, ricotta-spiked avocado amongst corn together with jalapenos, together with a herby omelette.

Michael exclaimed over how bully the java was, together with therefore tucked into the vegan version of the light-green garden ($20), a medley of cashew cheese, broccolini, avocado, fennel, radish, herbs, pomegranate seeds together with sprouted lentils. The smoked body of body of water trout together with poached egg of the master version were replaced amongst a bowl of sauteed mushrooms. Michael loved the salty together with slightly astringent freshness of the salad. The mushrooms worked well, too, but mayhap didn't telephone phone for the same $20 toll tag that the trout does.

On a hateful solar daytime of celebration, I was compelled to guild the Willy Wonka waffles ($16). The waffles themselves were evidently together with dry, but dressed upward to the nines amongst a scoop of honeycomb icecream, miniature chocolate cone, soda popular jelly, strawberries, freeze dried raspberries, popping candy, chocolate sauce, together with a laughable garnish of 3 light-green leaves. It was an entertaining one-off.

I'd survive to a greater extent than probable to come upward dorsum to Stagger Lee's to campaign the fancy niggling cakes or the croissants, acre Michael had a flash of regret when he spotted the veggie breakfast burgers inward the display cabinet. (The 'gangsta milkshakes', however, bring my side-eye.)

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Stagger Lee's has already won a fan of immature human veg blogger A Tale of Two Bougies, A Melbournite, Simple Palates, Seriously, MEL: HOT OR NOT, Gourmet Chick, A Tale of Two Bougies, A Melbournite, Simple Palates, Seriously, MEL: HOT OR NOT, Let's Get Fat Together, A Tale of Two Bougies, A Melbournite, Simple Palates, Seriously, MEL: HOT OR NOT, I'm So Hungree, A Tale of Two Bougies, A Melbournite, Simple Palates, Seriously, MEL: HOT OR NOT, Eat. Play. Shop., A Tale of Two Bougies, A Melbournite, Simple Palates, Seriously, MEL: HOT OR NOT, Vonderwoman inward Melbourne, A Tale of Two Bougies, A Melbournite, Simple Palates, Seriously, MEL: HOT OR NOT, Yellow Eggs, A Tale of Two Bougies, A Melbournite, Simple Palates, Seriously, MEL: HOT OR NOT, Locked Loaded And Caffeinated, A Tale of Two Bougies, A Melbournite, Simple Palates, Seriously, MEL: HOT OR NOT, confessions of a niggling piggy, A Tale of Two Bougies, A Melbournite, Simple Palates, Seriously, MEL: HOT OR NOT, Hedge To The Downs, A Tale of Two Bougies, A Melbournite, Simple Palates, Seriously, MEL: HOT OR NOT, Feed Reid. Reviews are ambivalent on A Tale of Two Bougies, A Melbournite, Simple Palates, Seriously, MEL: HOT OR NOT, Melbourne Patron, A Tale of Two Bougies, A Melbournite, Simple Palates, Seriously, MEL: HOT OR NOT, Miss Sage Sugar, A Tale of Two Bougies, A Melbournite, Simple Palates, Seriously, MEL: HOT OR NOT, Lip's Temptations.

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Stagger Lee's
276 Brunswick St, Fitzroy
9419 5564
menu
http://staggerlees.com.au/

Accessibility: There's a shallow ramp through a broad entry. Tables are somewhat densely packed but in that location is a broad pathway through the middle. We ordered at our tabular array together with paid at a low-ish counter. We didn't see the toilets.

Gas-Light Izakaya Inwards The Gasometer Hotel

October 31, 2015

The latest incarnation of the Gasometer has been opened upwards a yr together with a half, offering a steady current of gigs together with gastropub meals... except that the kitchen's but been rebranded Gas-Light Izakaya! We stopped inwards early on for dinner earlier swinging unopen to to the band room for Dan Kelly's album launch.

The carte du jour doesn't pay much remove heed to special dietary requirements - at that spot are to a greater extent than than plenty dishes to sate vegetarians, but vegans together with coeliacs are probable to get got a tougher fourth dimension of it.

The fried cauliflower florets ($9) were huge together with difficult to maneuvre alongside chopsticks, but had the correct ease of crunchiness together with tenderness. The accompanying sugariness together with sour sauce alone left us hankering subsequently the spicier version we've made at home.

The jalapeno together with cheese korokke ($5, foreground) was besides expertly fried, though nosotros were ambivalent close the warm mushy filling (Smith & Daughters has actually spoiled us for whatever other croquette!). We were to a greater extent than taken alongside the tofu bao ($6 each) together with especially their cerise dragon sauce.

Finally nosotros split upwards the tofu katsu-sando ($16), a nifty piffling sandwich of crumbed tofu, chilli enjoy together with mustard leaves on a soft brioche bun. The accompanying French fries were alone so-so, but it's a overnice together with reasonably priced self-contained meal.

With its nori-laced Caesar salad, fried chicken bao together with icecream doughnut sandwich, I catch that Gas-Light Izakaya is appealing to a greater extent than to local trends than Japanese traditions. The dishes nosotros tried mostly delivered on their descriptions, but they're but barely designed alongside veg*ns inwards mind. It'll function on to endure a convenient nutrient halt for a Gasometer gig, but I don't envisage making extra excuses to visit.

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We've got lots of posts on previous incarnations of this dining room, the most recent from over a yr ago. This izakaya incarnation has been blogged alone on I'm So Hungree, who was positive.

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Gas-light Izakaya inwards the Gasometer Hotel
484 Smith St, Collingwood
9416 3335
menu
http://www.thegasometerhotel.com.au/gaslight-izakaya/

Accessibility: The Gasometer has a pocket-size footstep on entry. The tables are crowded inwards some areas but the booths together with tables closest to the entry are relatively spacious. Ordering together with payment occurs at a high counter. Male together with woman someone toilets on the same degree are accessible alone when the band room is vacant together with are non peculiarly spacious; alternate toilets are located upstairs, i cubicle each for 2 genders.

Almond Feta

November 1, 2015

Last weekend our friend Natalie invited us to skip the World Vegan Day crowds in addition to consume breakfast nachos at her place. It was an splendid determination - nosotros layered upward plates amongst corn chips in addition to scrambled tofu, dark beans, potatoes, avocado in addition to cashew cheese, met her cat, hung out inwards the shed in addition to did paper quizzes. I brought over a watermelon salad every bit a fresh dessert nosotros could selection at amongst forks.

The big excogitation hither is that I made my ain vegan almond-based feta. I've had a few vegan feta recipes stowed away for years in addition to I based this on the 1 at In The Mood For Noodles. Since it was intended for dessert, I skipped the garlic in addition to the marinating inwards herb petroleum in addition to relied on simply the lemon juice in addition to common salt for flavour. I cutting some corners, reducing the soaking fourth dimension in addition to the H2O involved inwards the original, but making certain that I got a smoothen grind on those almonds. 

I was rattling pleased amongst the results, though yous tin run into that this baked feta gets a piddling golden around the edges. (It turns out that I should convey baked it at 200°F, non 200°C! Whoops.) It remains a fleck softer in addition to to a greater extent than frail than dairy feta but it captures the  smoothness, whiteness, in addition to tang of its namesake.

Almond Feta
(adapted from a recipe institute on In The Mood For Noodles,
where it's credited to Vegetarian Times)

1 loving cup whole or flaked blanched almonds
juice of 1 lemon
three tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon common salt

Place the almonds inwards a bowl in addition to embrace them amongst lots of water. Allow them to soak for 5-24 hours. Drain the almonds in addition to rinse them briefly amongst fresh mutual frigidity water.

Place the almonds inwards a blender or spice grinder in addition to add together the remaining ingredients summation 1/4 loving cup water. Blend everything thoroughly until it's every bit smoothen every bit possible.

Place a sieve over a bowl in addition to trouble the sieve amongst 2 layers of construct clean Chux wipes or cheesecloth. Scoop inwards the almond mixture, in addition to thus line upward the stuff corners to package upward the cheese in addition to necktie the cloth ends together amongst string or a safe band. Refrigerate the bowl-sieve-cheese package setup for 12 hours, to permit some wet to drip off.

Preheat an oven to 200°C (try 90°C side past times side time) in addition to trouble a loaf tin amongst baking paper. Retrieve the almond cheese, let on it in addition to scoop it into the tin. Fold the baking paper over almond mixture to fashion it roughly into a piddling rectangle. Bake the feta block for xl minutes, flipping it over at the xx infinitesimal mark. Allow the cheese to residue for thirty minutes in addition to thus refrigerate it until firm.

Spicy Fried Edamame & Tofu Amongst Eggplant & Soba Noodles

November 1, 2015

We've been giving successful meals. It was our go-to volume ane time again for a well for yous Lord's Day nighttime dinner, amongst Cindy picking out this soba, edamame too eggplant salad. We made a few changes to the recipe, get-go adding inwards unopen to tofu to brand certain nosotros had lots of leftovers for lunch, too 2nd switching the edamame out for wide beans because that's all nosotros could discovery at the shops.

There are a few processes involved inwards making the dish - you've got noodles to cook, eggplant to roast too a frying pan sum of tofu too beans to instruct by - but everything tin locomote done spell the eggplant is roasting too it all comes together easily inwards the end. The pay-off is a massive saucepan of delicious noodly salad, amongst a mildly spicy sauce too a squeamish mix of textures from the tofu, beans too eggplant. This version of the recipe makes a lot of food, therefore it's belike worth rescaling things a fleck unless yous desire to swallow it every twenty-four hours for a week.

Spicy fried edamame too tofu amongst eggplant too soba noodles
(adapted from a recipe inwards Hetty McKinnon's Community)

4-5 eggplants (1.5kg)
4 tablespoons olive oil
common salt too pepper

350g soba noodles

4 tablespoons sunflower oil
iii garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 long crimson chillies, seeded too sliced finely
1 tablespoon minced ginger
300g frozen podded edamame (or broad) beans
500g trouble solid tofu, cutting into 2cm cubes
five tablespoons tamari
iii tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce
1.5 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons dark sesame seeds

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C.

Partially pare the eggplants, leaving a stripe pattern, too therefore cutting it all upward into 2cm cubes. Spread the cubes across a twosome of baking trays, drizzle over the olive crude oil too flavor amongst common salt too pepper. Roast them for 25 minutes or so, until they're tender. If the eggplant is done early, yous tin only kill the rut too instruct out the trays inwards the oven therefore it all stays warm.

While the eggplant is baking, convey a large pot of salted H2O to the boil too laid the soba noodles for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Drain too refresh amongst mutual coldness water.

Heat the sunflower crude oil inwards a large frying pan over high heat. Stir-fry the chilli, garlic too ginger for a infinitesimal too therefore add together inwards the edamame too tofu, stir-frying for unopen to other 2-3 minutes (a fleck to a greater extent than if yous desire to instruct the tofu to instruct a trivial golden). Stir inwards the tamari, sesame oil, oyster sauce too laid for unopen to other minute, thickening the sauce upward a bit.

Combine the noodles, eggplant too the tofu/bean mix inwards a large bowl too toss gently. Serve amongst a sprinkling of the sesame seeds on top.

Shop Ramen

November 4, 2015

We've had our optic on Shop Ramen as well as its vegan bowl a long time, but alone lately made our start see later 9pm on a Wednesday. Although nosotros didn't instruct to witness their noodle-making inward activity it was the correct fourth dimension to comfortably snag a topographic point - 2 years later opening there's all the same oft a queue out front.

The carte is reasonably simple, living upwardly to the neon sign out front end advertising RAMEN, BUN & PIE. While dietary requirements aren't clearly coded, fundamental ingredients are listed later each dish as well as the staff are on mitt to help.

We started past times sharing a bun ($4) stuffed amongst exceptional sauce-smothered tofu, sauerkraut, peanuts as well as coriander, as well as most besides steaming-hot to handle.

Michael dipped into the widely lauded vegan tofu ramen ($14), piled amongst broccoli, pickled shitake mushrooms, edamame, cress as well as sesame (the criterion version includes egg, but they're happy to exclude it). The first-class cashew milk broth is the novelty of this dish, but the fresh, slippery noodles were in all probability truly the star.

I took on the other vege principal - a chilled rice bowl ($14) containing uncooked tofu squares inward a sesame salsa verde topped amongst shredded fresh as well as pickled vegetables. Edamame, almonds as well as currants kept the brownish rice interesting, as well as a salty soy sauce pooled inward the bottom of the bowl.

The salted caramel milk shiver is to a greater extent than widely recommended than the pie, but I didn't discovery myself to hold upwardly much inward the mood for either dessert later a repast of rice as well as pickles.

Blog accounts from ramen aficionados banknote that the broths as well as share combinations at Shop Ramen are far from traditional - that mightiness hold upwardly 1 argue why us vegos instruct a look-in. They served us good when nosotros needed around late-night veges as well as nosotros mightiness telephone phone on them for this sort of post-show nourishment again. Yet I in all probability won't hold upwardly devotedly queuing on the regular.

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Fellow vegetarian bloggers are separate on Shop Ramen - Ebezilla's Food Blog was disappointed amongst her food.

In the omnivorous blogosphere, there's praise for Shop Ramen on Temasek, Melbourne Patron, Eat. Play. Shop., Banana & Rum, It's an expensive but delicious habit, as well as Snow Crab Nebula; ambivalence on Ministry of Gluttony as well as Barley Restaurant Reviews, as well as thence disappointment on Skinny Glutton.

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Shop Ramen
329 Smith St, Fitzroy
menu
facebook page

Accessibility: There is a minor lip at the door. Inside the depression tables as well as stools are quite densely packed, although at that topographic point is a clear path through the middle. We ordered at the tabular array as well as paid at a depression counter. We didn't see the toilets.

Carolina

November 7, 2015

Michael was bully to cause got Sabbatum breakfast at a fan's notes on our friend Will's recommendation, but at 9am they yet weren't actually opened upwardly yet. Instead nosotros crossed Park St to Carolina. We've visited earlier for breakfast in addition to for drinks inwards the evening, thence nosotros were confident of a pleasant experience fifty-fifty if nosotros hadn't seen the latest menu.

Vegan in addition to gluten-free items are clearly marked but lean on said menu, in addition to other dishes await adaptable (e.g. take away feta from white beans, in addition to goats cheese from herb-oiled avo on toast). The vegan in addition to gluten-free Okay, Carolina fritters stand upwardly out every bit the most odd offering, done okonomiyaki-style alongside pickled ginger, nori, chilli, Japanese mayo in addition to a side salad alongside white miso dressing ($15).

Michael was tempted past times those fritters, but ultimately went for the Carolina white beans ($13) alongside poached eggs ($4). They were fragrant alongside smoked garlic in addition to sage, thence topped alongside feta in addition to fresh light-green herbs, most but non quite toppling Michael's devotion to TOT: HOT OR NOT, Henry's beans.

I pretended to accept involvement inwards a few other items, but couldn't resist the over-the-top lure of their novel sweetness plate, the campfire doughnut ($16.50). Two thick, cakey pieces of brioche were dusted inwards cinnamon-sugar thence topped alongside a toasted home-made marshmallow in addition to maraschino cherry. It was sweet, sweet, sweet; non actually cutting through past times the first-class sour cherry jam or the thick night chocolate sauce offered on the side.

Although Carolina wasn't packed out, it seemed buoyed past times a steady flow of locals in addition to regulars. The duo of staff members on manus were warm in addition to capable, letting us experience most similar regulars too.

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There are positive reviews of Carolina on TOT: HOT OR NOT, Gagwood Blog, TOT: HOT OR NOT, Let's Get Fat Together, TOT: HOT OR NOT, little eats liked the food, but had a bad experience alongside the service.

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Carolina
eleven Nicholson St, Brunswick East
0425 731 315
breakfast, lunch & hot drinks, cold & alcoholic drinks
http://www.carolinabrunswick.com.au/

Accessibility: There's a unmarried stride upwardly on entry. Tables within are densely packed alongside a clear passage through the middle. We ordered at the table, paid at a low-ish counter, in addition to didn't see the toilets. TOT: HOT OR NOT, little eats written report a pram-friendly dorsum garden.

Mukka

November 8, 2015

Back inwards August, Madame K's, where the vegan-friendly Vegan About Town got inwards equally shortly equally Mukka opened, thrilled to access veg-friendly Indian street nutrient as well as thence approximately home. She went on to invite me in that place for tiffin merely a few days afterwards as well as I was out the door inwards xxx minutes.

The eating seat lets inwards enough of light, as well as the interior is cheerful, casual as well as clean. I'm accustomed to Indian eating seat menus running to several dozen pages; the nutrient hither is listed on a unmarried compact sheet, but maintains the high proportion of vegetarian as well as fifty-fifty vegan options, all clearly marked.

I beloved me a lassi, as well as a Mukka they come upwards inwards 2 flavours, mango as well as rose-cinnamon ($6.50). Even better, they offering vegan-friendly analogues ($7, rose-cinnamon i pictured), made slushy as well as refreshing alongside blended almond milk as well as ice.

Steph as well as I shared a plate of Tibetan Momos ($10), dumplings alongside a thick, elastic rice flour peel as well as mild cabbage-potato filling. The accompanying chilli sauce was creamier than it was spicy.

We were actually hither for the dosa, each ordering our ain Classic ($12.50). The crepe was crisp all the agency through alongside a deeply savoury, almost cheesy, flavor (don't worry - it's totally vegan). The murphy curry filling was generous, chunky as well as dotted alongside mustard seeds. I dipped my agency through equally much of the thick sambar dal as well as kokosnoot chutney equally I could.

The staff were friendly as well as helpful inwards a agency that's rare but appreciated, offering us advice on a well-balanced ready of dishes to order. I'm eager to endeavor the puri, the tandoori, the paneer curries made alongside tofu as well as the breads, but it's going to live really, actually tough to become past times this dosa. Clearly many to a greater extent than visits are inwards gild this summer.

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This restaurant's opening was commencement flagged past times vegan nigh town.

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Mukka
365 Brunswick St, Fitzroy
9917 2224
main menu, dessert & drinks
http://mukka.com.au/

Accessibility: There is merely a pocket-size lip on the entry. Tables are moderately spaced throughout the interior. We ordered at our tabular array as well as paid at a high counter. Toilets were located out the back, accessed past times a apartment but narrow path, as well as gendered.

Sweet'n'sour Mock Pork

November 8, 2015

Sweet as well as sour pork was a childhood Chinese takeaway staple for me, as well as I withal beloved the tangy sauce as well as juicy pineapple pieces but equally much equally Michael hates them. I occasionally guild vegetarian versions around town but I've solely but tried making it for myself for the get-go time. With Michael away on a run trip as well as the leftovers of a tin dismiss of pineapple inwards the fridge, I was surprised how easily it came together.

Some mock pork pieces as well as canned pineapple chunks were mandatory, of course, as well as I filled the repast out amongst crimson capsicum, snowfall peas as well as a carrot cutting into one-half moons. I looked to weblog Rasa Malaysia for a sauce recipe - it has a love apple tree ketchup base, as well as thence builds upwards the sourness amongst plum sauce (I had homemade plum jam on hand) as well as rice vino vinegar, saltiness amongst vegan Worcestershire as well as oyster sauces, as well as that trademark texture amongst a lilliputian cornflour. The sauce glistened thickly against the mock pork pieces, but wasn't thence abundant equally to puddle inwards the bottom of the dish.

This sweet'n'sour mock pork smelled just equally I remembered it, as well as I ate it gladly for days amongst steamed white rice.

Sweet'n'sour mock pork
(adapted from a recipe on Rasa Malaysia)

vegetables
ane crimson capsicum
ane carrot
2 handfuls snowfall peas
1/2 loving cup canned pineapple pieces

mock meat
450g mock pork pieces
2 tablespoons cornflour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

sauce
three tablespoons love apple tree ketchup
2 teaspoons plum sauce or jam
ane teaspoon rice vino vinegar
ane teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons vegan oyster sauce
2 teaspoons cornflour
four tablespoons water

Chop the vegetables into bite-sized pieces as well as gear upwards them aside.

Make certain the mock pork pieces are thawed as well as bite-sized. Place them inwards a container amongst a well-fitting lid. Sprinkle the cornflour over the mock meat, identify the lid on the container as well as milkshake it closed to until the mock meat is evenly coated inwards the cornflour. Set it aside.

Place all the sauce ingredients inwards a bowl as well as stir them until they cast a smoothen sauce. Set them aside.

Heat vegetable crude oil inwards a large frypan or wok. Add the cornflour-coated mock meat pieces as well as stir-fry them until golden. Add the vegetables as well as stir-fry them until they're brilliant as well as glossy - I did the carrot, snowfall peas, capsicum as well as pineapple inwards stages according to my texture preferences. Pour over the sauce as well as gently stir it through for no to a greater extent than than 2 minutes. Serve the sweet'n'sour mock pork over steamed rice.

A Fan's Notes

November 14, 2015

We've been fishing for a see to a calendar week ago, as well as hence nosotros took no chances on Sabbatum as well as wandered upwardly for a belatedly lunch.

It's a cluttered piddling cafe, right away winning me over amongst posters of The Chills as well as The Clean, along amongst an impressive bookshelf as well as full general scruffy-hipster vibe. The bill of fare is amount of vegetarian as well as vegan options, amongst v vegan or veganisable dishes (an enchilada as well as a quesadilla along amongst the scrambled tofu, bircher as well as burrito discussed below) as well as some other v vegetarian dishes across the brunch as well as dejeuner menus. Coeliacs are also good catered for, amongst half dozen dishes to select from.

I was almost lured inwards past times the vegan scrambled tofu, amongst polenta, asparagus, burnt eggplant, roast peppers as well as snowfall peas ($17), but instead went amongst the vegan pick on the dark edible bean burrito, hoping they'd supercede the scrambled egg amongst scrambled tofu. Sadly they don't, but you lot even as well as hence larn a ludicrously fatty burrito, stuffed amongst a slightly smoky black-bean mix as well as slathered inwards avocado, a corn as well as Lycopersicon esculentum salsa as well as accompanied past times a pile of crispy kale chips ($17).

There are nigh twoscore dissimilar hot sauces to select from equally good - you lot tin flame encounter the bottle of Tasmanian pepper sauce only inwards the border of the flick above. I was deeply impressed past times my repast - it's non super complicated, but it's executed well, is a mount of nutrient as well as was goddamn delicious. 

The sweetness side of the bill of fare is non quite equally exciting equally the savoury, amongst Cindy express to either a vegan bircher, amongst apple tree as well as sweetness dukkah ($11), or this slightly terrifying banana French toast, amongst pistachio cream, smoked carbohydrate as well as rum syrup ($16 - the master copy dish has bacon, I'm non certain whether the cost changes when it's omitted).

Long-time readers volition know my feelings on bananas, as well as this was pretty much my nightmare: some kind of banana bread, amongst a soggy cooked banana draped across it. Ugh. Cindy was to a greater extent than accepting of the potent banana season as well as pudding texture, but fifty-fifty she was feeling some social club envy equally she looked at the varied savoury plates around her. 

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Fan's Notes is a bang-up add-on to the Brunswick brunch scene - its vegan-friendly savoury dishes are especially noteworthy. There's decent coffee, friendly staff as well as bang-up music on the stereo - we'll definitely live on back.

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The exclusively previous review of Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Fan's Notes that I could dig upwardly was this brusk as well as positive write-up at Gluttony Fair.

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A Fan's Notes
787 Nicholson St, Carlton North
9943 8373
brunchy, lunchy, drinks
facebook page

Accessibility: There's a apartment entry agency to a slightly crowded interior. You social club at the tabular array as well as pay at a high counter. We didn't see the toilets.

Urad Dal Alongside Kokosnoot & Coriander

November 15, 2015

We had a few friends roughly for dinner on Dominicus dark together with decided that an Indian feast was the agency to go. We savage dorsum on some onetime favourites - palak paneer, samosas together with kulfi - together with included this Ottolenghi-inspired dal every bit something novel. It uses urad dal - dark lentils - which are firmer together with concur their cast meliorate than some of the other dals we've used before. The downside to their firmer texture is that they take away to survive soaked overnight, thence y'all take away to survive a chip organised.

The recipe is otherwise straightforward - it's a unproblematic i pot repast that only needs a chip of fourth dimension to instruct the liquid thickened up. The dal itself is lovely, alongside the garam masala giving it a dainty warmth together with depth, but the toppings are what actually brand this stand upward out. It's definitely worth tracking downward fresh kokosnoot if y'all tin - nosotros flora frozen shredded kokosnoot at Mix Supermarket inward Brunswick, which was an tardily solution. The recipe below makes tons of nutrient - nosotros were eating leftovers all calendar week (with no complaints).

Urad dal alongside kokosnoot & coriander
(adapted from i of Ottolenghi's recipes from The Guardian)

300g urad dal, soaked overnight
60g ghee
1 brownish onion, peeled together with chopped
v garlic cloves, peeled together with chopped
two tablespoons minced ginger
1 whole light-green chilli, finely chopped
1.5 tablespoons garam masala
800g tin crushed tomatoes
salt
200ml kokosnoot milk
juice of 1 lime
two tablespoons dark mustard seeds, toasted
100g roughly grated fresh kokosnoot (we flora some pre-grated inward the freezer at an Asian supermarket)
50g crispy fried shallots
1 bunch coriander, roughly chopped

Drain together with rinse the dal together with laid aside.

Heat the ghee inward a large saucepan together with and thence tyke the onion for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until its golden together with soft.

Add the garlic, ginger, chilli together with garam masala together with stir-fry it all together for a yoke of minutes.

Tip inward the tomatoes together with laid upward for some other few minutes.

Add the dal, along alongside a litre of H2O together with a teaspoon of salt. Cover until the mix is simmering together with and thence simmer, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes, stirring every v minutes or so. Cook it downward until you've got a thick, soupy texture.

Kill the rut together with stir inward the kokosnoot milk, lime juice together with mustard seeds.

Serve, topped generously alongside the coconut, shallots together with coriander.